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| Michael Korie | |
|---|---|
| Name | Michael Korie |
| Birth date | 1955 |
| Occupation | Lyricist, librettist, playwright |
| Nationality | American |
Michael Korie
Michael Korie is an American lyricist and librettist known for his work in contemporary opera, musical theatre, and concert song. He has collaborated with composers, directors, and performers across institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and Lincoln Center, and his texts have been set in productions staged at venues like Glimmerglass Festival, Carnegie Hall, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Korie’s career bridges collaborations with composers from William Bolcom to Jake Heggie, and he is noted for libretti that address historical figures and modern themes for ensembles and soloists associated with companies such as Chicago Opera Theater, San Francisco Opera, and Houston Grand Opera.
Korie was born in 1955 and grew up in the United States, where he developed interests that led him to study literature and drama at institutions connected with theatrical and musical cultures such as Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, Columbia University, and New York University during the broad expansion of American musical theatre and opera in the late 20th century. His early formation intersected with environments that produced alumni like Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Bernard Herrmann, and Gore Vidal, situating him within networks of playwrights, composers, and librettists active in venues including Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatres. Mentors and contemporaries in these circles included figures associated with The Juilliard School and conservatory traditions that informed his literary and musical collaborations.
Korie’s professional work spans musical theatre, opera, and concert settings, working with composers, directors, and institutions that have shaped late 20th- and early 21st-century American stage music. He first came to public attention through collaborations that connected him to composers and producers active at Lincoln Center Theater, New Dramatists, and commercial producers with ties to Broadway and Off-Broadway houses. Over decades he has contributed libretti and lyrics to works mounted at the Metropolitan Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and international festivals and companies such as Santa Fe Opera and Opera Philadelphia. Korie has also been involved in cabaret and song-cycle projects for performers associated with institutions like Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and leading opera companies, collaborating with artists who have appeared with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Notable collaborations include libretti and lyrics for operas and musicals created with composers such as Jake Heggie, William Bolcom, Stewart Wallace, Scott Frankel, and Michael Korie’s frequent collaborators in concert and theatre settings. Among his prominent projects are works premiered or presented at venues including the Metropolitan Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and San Francisco Opera. He has written texts for pieces inspired by historical figures and literary texts connected to subjects represented in the repertories of institutions like The Royal Opera House, Vienna State Opera, and festival programming at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Aix-en-Provence Festival. Korie’s collaborations with performers and directors have included artists affiliated with New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera Guild, and companies that commission new American works such as American Lyric Theatre and Opera America.
Korie’s libretti and lyrics integrate narrative drives and character-focused language designed for singers associated with repertoires at Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and San Francisco Opera. His texts often address historical biography and contemporary social issues in a manner resonant with dramaturges and directors working in institutions such as Lincoln Center and Glimmerglass Festival. Thematic interests align him with other librettists and playwrights who engage subjects linked to figures celebrated by Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center, and his work is frequently performed by vocalists engaged with orchestras like the New York Philharmonic and ensembles programmed by Opera America.
Korie’s work has been acknowledged in circles connected to awards and honors associated with institutions such as The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and national arts organizations like National Endowment for the Arts and Opera America. His collaborations have received critical attention from publications and critics covering premieres at venues including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and festival presenters such as Glimmerglass Festival and Santa Fe Opera.
Korie’s professional life situates him among American librettists and lyricists whose texts continue to be programmed by companies including Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, and others. His legacy includes contributions to contemporary American opera and musical theatre repertoires, collaborations that informed commissions by organizations such as Opera America and American Lyric Theatre, and works performed in concert halls like Carnegie Hall and festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Aix-en-Provence Festival.
Category:American librettists Category:American lyricists